Nish Panesar is a fictional character from the BBCsoap operaEastEnders, played by Navin Chowdhry. After being mentioned multiple times beforehand, Nish made his first appearance in episode 6565, broadcast on 29 September 2022. It was confirmed that Chowdhry had begun filming before the announcement of his casting on 28 August 2022.
While Nish has generally been considered a solid villain by critics, he was disliked by general viewers due to his depraved actions; With Denby (Radio Times) calling Nish "irredeemable", Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy reporting that Nish's "nefarious" actions had "infuriated" fans of the show, adding that many hoped for his comeuppance, and Chowdhry admitting that he was aware that many fans hoped Nish would be the victim of "The Six" storyline.
Storylines
Upon Nish's release from prison, his wife Suki (Balvinder Sopal) returns from Mumbai, India and comes face to face with Nish and he manipulates her into giving their marriage another shot. However, Suki and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) have an affair and plot against Nish with the goal of getting him out of Walford once and for all, so that they can live happily together. Nish accuses her of cheating on him with Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths), threatening that he may murder again if Suki is cheating. Nish's son Vinny (Shiv Jalota) tells Suki about an illegal job Nish is involved in, which causes her to call the police on Nish to get him arrested. Nish accuses Vinny of calling the police on him, which causes him to attack Vinny, but Suki confesses that it was her. When Suki furiously admits that she does not love Nish and that she never has, Nish is distraught that Suki stood up to him and immediately questions Suki if she is seeing someone else, to no avail. This causes Nish to get angry and claim that Suki is his and that she always will be his no matter what. Later that night, Vinny enters the home to find Suki unconscious at the bottom of the stairs with Nish standing above her looking aggravated. Nish is arrested for ABH. After some time, Nish is released and returns home to his family before Suki ends things with Eve.
When Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) and Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley) move into one of Nish's flats, Rocky approaches Nish for a loan, which Nish gives him, but makes it clear he has to pay it back on time. When the time comes for Rocky to pay Nish his first instalment, Nish warns him not to keep him waiting or he will tell Kathy about Rocky's debts. Nish then has many more encounters with Rocky and threatens him persistently, doubling his interest rate on the loan. In an attempt to solve his issues, Rocky sets fire to Kathy's café in an insurance scam to pay off the money, causing it to explode and seriously injure Kathy's grandsons, Peter (Thomas Law) and Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell). Nish later approaches Rocky when he is alone and says that out of good will, the debt is cancelled, but that he secretly knows Rocky burnt down the café, blackmailing Rocky by telling him that he must convince Kathy to sell the café plot of land to him or else everybody will learn the truth.
Nish catches Suki and Eve kissing on the Minute Mart CCTV and, horrified to learn about the affair, rages and trashes the shop. When he gets home, Nish texts Eve on Suki's phone, telling her to meet in Walford East. Upon arrival, Nish tells Eve that he knows about the affair. Eve does not care about his threats and picks up her bag, ready to leave with Suki. This causes Nish to viciously strike Eve in the face with a champagne bottle, sending her unconscious. Nish then drags Eve into the kitchen as his son Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) arrives. Nish orders Ravi to kill Eve, which he agrees to after Nish guilt-trips him. They drag her to the boot of a car and Ravi then drives her to a private location. Eve wakes up and the two fight and it eventually leads up to Ravi sparing Eve's life, under the condition that she must leave Walford forever and act as dead, to which Eve agrees. Upon Ravi’s return, he informs Nish that Eve is dead and Nish is relieved and thanks Ravi for killing her. Nish and Ravi later arrested for the 'murder' of Eve but are released when it is discovered that Eve is alive.
On Christmas Day 2023, Nish is violent during dinner to Ravi and Suki for helping hide Eve. Suki leaves the house and later calls Nish to talk in private in The Queen Victoriapublic house. At The Queen Vic, Suki is accompanied by Kathy, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who refuse to leave Suki alone with Nish. Nish pleads with Suki to give him another chance and that he will make her happy, with Suki replying that she cannot bare to look at him. Suddenly, Nish grabs Suki and attempts to drag her away but the women defend her, with Denise striking Nish over the head with a champagne bottle, which knocks Nish unconscious. The next morning, Nish is taken into the hospital and placed into an induced coma. After a few weeks, Nish wakes and is visited by Suki. They have a conversation about the events of Christmas, where Nish admits that he cannot remember anything that happened that night, so Suki tells him a fabricated story about Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), who the women later murdered and hid the body of, attacking him and running away.
After Kat Mitchell (Jessie Wallace) is cheated on by her husband, Phil (Steve McFadden), she starts a relationship with Nish. Nish's memory slowly starts to return as he begins to remember titbits of what happened at Christmas. He confronts Denise, Suki and Linda over what happened that night, and while they don't reveal anything, they act suspiciously. Nish then threatens to go to the police and tell them everything unless Suki signs all their businesses over to him. After some panicking and conversations, Suki decides to allow Nish to take everything but leave her something small. The next week, Nish is determined to find the truth and invites Suki over for dinner, after being served divorce papers, Nish rips them up. Still determined, he continues to intensely interrogate the women who were there that night. At first, Suki fights for her empire but later gives in and lets Nish have it all, serving him with the papers. Nish reopens Bridge Street Café as "Nish's" but is stunned to see there is a leak which has soaked the floor, he then postpones the reopening.
Kat and Nish end their relationship and Nish then kicks Kat and her children out of their flat. After deciding to give things another try, Nish hires dodgy lawyer, Roger Peel (Ben Jones), to try and "help" Kat deal with her divorce and share of the businesses. Roger tells Kat that the only way for her to keep her businesses is to transfer it into someone else's name for the time being. After some thinking, Kat speaks to Suki and quickly realises that it is a setup for Nish to get her businesses. Kat and Suki then blackmail Roger, before Kat and Nish chat and Nish reveals his true intentions for using Kat. Kat manages to escape after Nish becomes violent as Suki and Eve come to her rescue. Stacey then threatens to send Nish down. Nish, enraged, calls DC Whisson (Daniel Moore) and falsely reports Stacey as his attacker at Christmas, but Nish withdraws the accusation. When Suki tries to civilly settle things with Nish, things get heated and he tries strangling her. That evening, Suki sits at the table with the family until Nish walks in, ordering her to leave. Nish is told by everyone that Suki has been granted his businesses and when Nish attacks Vinny, Nish is kicked out of the house.
Development
Casting and introduction
After being mentioned multiple times on the soap as the patriarch of the Panesar family, Chowdhry's casting as Nish was announced on 28 August 2022. It was further confirmed that he had already begun filming at the time.[1][2] He was set to arrive in Walford following a 20-year stretch in prison for murdering a man he believed Suki was having an affair with.[1][2][3] Before their time on EastEnders, Nish mentally abused and controlled Suki throughout their marriage; despite this, Nish would arrive determined to repair his family relationships, including his marriage to Suki.[4][5] Chowdhry attributed this to Nish's controlling personality, explaining that: "In Nish's eyes, Suki has no other option but to fall in line. Nish believes they are literally going to pick up where they left off – which is crazy".[6] Upon his announcement, Nish was described as a charming and charismatic character, but it was noted that viewers would quickly notice that he is "ice-cold, manipulative and driven by a need for power and respect".[1][2] Chowdhry commented that Nish is "manipulative, clever and intuitive", that he "doesn't believe someone can get one over on him", and has a habit of "blaming everyone but himself".[6] He reckoned that the only person who could get one over on Nish was Suki, despite controlling her life.[3] Due to having spent so much time in prison, Chowdhry teased that Nish would arrive feeling "pained and wronged" due to missing out on his children growing up, adding that Nish "believes he's owed by the world and by his family for the time he's done in prison", explaining his determination to rebuild relationships.[6]
On his casting, Chowdhry commented that since he had never worked on a soap before EastEnders, the experience was new for him. However, he was interested in the storylines given to him upon his debut. He particularly vented interest in his onscreen family and liked that "there's so much happening at all times" in the Panesar unit.[1] He found Nish to be an interesting and unconventional character, which he teased would bring "drama and mayhem". He opined that under Nish's depraved persona, there is a good man, but confirmed that Nish would cause "turmoil" for the Panesars.[1] He added: "I'm excited to join in and set off a few more explosions and fireworks".[5] When asked if other residents of Walford should fear Nish's arrival, Chowdhry responded "no one is in danger... unless they cross him".[6] Executive producer Chris Clenshaw echoed Chowdhry's excitement for the character's debut since Nish had been referenced numerous times prior to his arrival on the series. Clenshaw continued in an announcement: "The spectre of Nish Panesar is finally here, and it's been a pleasure welcoming Navin [Chowdhry] to the cast, and take to the role so effortlessly. He brings something to the character that none of us could've predicted – his dynamic on and off-screen, and we're excited to see where his character develops as the story grows".[1] Chowdhry was told by Clenshaw that Nish was a highly anticipated character as he was the "one missing piece of the puzzle" in regards to the Panesar family.[6]
When discussing his character, Chowdhry commented that he enjoyed playing a villainous character, explaining: "I enjoy being evil. And we have a good time on set. They often say the best fun you have is when you're doing the darkest stuff".[7] His introduction was labelled a "big storm" by Radio Times, who also described Nish as "a dangerous character to be on the wrong side of".[2] Chowdhry believed Nish was an important character to show on TV, as his mother ran a charity for victims of domestic abuse, with Chowdhry hoping Nish could spread awareness of domestic violence, commenting: "I’m now playing a character that my mum spent her life’s work saving people from. You need to create characters like Nish to show how hateful and destructive this behavour is".[8][9]
Affair discovery
In November 2023, Clenshaw announced that when Nish discovers Suki's affair with Eve Unwin (Heather Peace), "all hell will break loose" and that Nish would be angry and vengeful.[10] He was also announced to fly into a rage after discovering the affair.[11] In an interview with Inside Soap, Chowdhry teased that "Eve is playing with fire" and that it "would not be a pretty day in Walford" when Nish finds out.[6] Chowdhry believed that Nish "totally adored Suki", and that it was a "dagger to his heart" to discover her affair.[12] About the discovery, Clenshaw teased that "Nish will find out about [Suki] and Eve", but was intentionally vague about other details as he explained that "everyone's desperate to find out how Nish is going to react".[13] Sopal described Suki's marriage to Nish as having "no love" as the relationship "died a long time ago when she saw him for who he really was".[14] She described Nish's love as "toxic" as it "comes with conditions, control and [is] driven by his needs, wants and passions".[14] Chowdhry teased that Nish would be "consumed by jealous rage" upon the discovery because he saw it as the ultimate betrayal, explaining: "It's a betrayal because it's humiliating and degrading, for someone as obsessed with control as him, to think that something's going on behind his back – especially when it involves someone like his wife" and that "the idea that his wife was able to hide that from him when he thought he was absolutely in control of her, her feelings and her actions – it's the biggest blow. It harks back to the reason why he went to prison in the first place – he went there for killing a man in a jealous, love-blind rage – and now he has evidence that it's happened again".[12][15] He added that Nish's anger would be "off the scale" and that it would be the angriest viewers had ever seen him.[12][15]
Involvement with The Six
Following a flash-forward sequence in February 2023, showing a seemingly dead body on the floor of The Queen Victoriapublic house at Christmas, Nish was one of the most suspected characters of being the body. The storyline became known as "The Six", referring to the six female characters who were suspected to be the murderer.[16] "The Seven" was a list of seven male potential victims, with Nish's inclusion being announced on 7 December 2023.[17] Nish's inclusion was justified due to his abusive behaviour towards Suki, attempting to get Suki's lover, Eve, killed, having a connection with each female character suspected to the be killer, and having spent much of the year being a local menace.[17][18] Chowdhry voiced his awareness that many people wanted Nish to die at Christmas, saying "It's well documented how many people want Nish dead".[8] He added that Nish's violent temper could be the catalyst for being the murder victim, saying that "Nish is so paranoid, so jealous and possessive that the idea of Suki being with anyone else is beyond him" and that it is "humiliating and degrading for him" to be cheated on.[8] Chowdhry commented in a New! magazine interview that it had been "the number one suspect for a very long time".[12] A Radio Times poll revealed that fans believed Nish was the most likely of "the seven" to be killed, with 33% fans believing he was going to die.[19]
"The Six" storyline unfolded on Christmas Day 2023, where it is revealed that Nish was the body on the floor after being struck across the head with a champagne bottle by Denise Fox (Diane Parish), however he did not die and was simply unconscious, with the actual death being Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).[20][21] Being hit by the bottle resulted in Nish being knocked unconscious and entering an inducedcoma.[22] After waking up from the coma, Nish slowly began to regain his memory. Chowdhry detailed that "Nish's mission in life at this stage is to find out exactly what happened", detailing that it was for both a desire to seek retribution for what happened to him, as he wasn't sold by the cover story made by the six, and to regain control of the situation.[23] When Nish became sure that the six were hiding something, so bribed Suki into handing businesses over to him, which Chowdhry considered to be Nish's way of "re-establish his authority on everything and everyone around him".[23]
Relationship with Kat Mitchell
"They are both hurting, and through the pain they're experiencing find a great comfort in each other. In situations like this, people grow close very quickly – and you have these two characters who, against all the odds, find themselves in each other's company, and that is healing for them at first."
–Navin Chowdhry, portrayer of Nish, discussing Nish and Kat's fling.[23]
While Nish recovered from his amnesia, he begin a relationship with Kat Mitchell (Jessie Wallace), who was on the rebound after discovering her husband Phil (Steve McFadden) had cheated on her with Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit).[24] Commenting on the romantic twist involving him and Kat, Chowdhry admitted it was a surprise for both him and Wallace, saying "It was a surprise, but again it's something that will goes places", adding that "there is something quite big coming up" for the couple.[25]
Chowdhry called for more scenes between Nish and Phil, adding that "Nish isn't bothered about anybody, and he certainly isn't bothered about Phil. I think he relishes in the antagonism and it’s a challenge for Nish which he feels totally ready for, but whether he is or not is something else. He doesn't fear Phil at all but there is an argument to suggest that he should" and that he believed a feud between the characters would be popular among audiences.[9] Discussing the relationship with Kat, Chowdhry opined that "initially with Nish and Kat, there was a genuine attraction of two people in similar situations. There was a common ground over which they bonded genuinely. But Nish, being the manipulative opportunist that he is, saw a wonderful prize at the end of it [Phil's money and businesses]. I think there was an affection at first that then transformed into an opportunity for him".[26] Adding that he feels the only way Nish is able to take his breakup is to harm Suki, the actor teased that Nish would be playing a "long game" for his revenge.[27] After Kat breaks up with Nish, he calls the police on her cousin Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) as revenge, a move which Chowdhry considered a "desperate backup plan".[24][26]
Reception
Upon his first scenes, Lea Dzifa Seeberg of MyLondon wrote that fans were "delighted" that Nish had joined the show, but were puzzled about the reveal that he is the father of Ravi, as many believed Chowdhry looked too young.[28] Laura Denby of Radio Times called the reveal that Nish was Ravi's father a "bombshell".[29] In October 2022, Alice Penwill from Inside Soap wrote that, by that point, "Nish has already stirred up life for the Panesars – and the whole of Walford, for that matter".[30] Denby (Radio Times) noted that Nish and Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) were the two characters of "The Seven" who people most wanted to be brought to justice "one way or another", adding that Nish was a "control freak" and was "growing more toxic by the day".[31] She further added that Nish was "a chilling presence in Walford" and "irredeemable".[31] Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy reported that Nish's "nefarious" actions had "infuriated" fans of the show, noting that many hoped for his comeuppance.[32]Inside Soap editor Gary Gillatt speculated that Nish would be the 2023 Christmas Day victim due to his close connection of five of "The Six".[33] After his character survived Christmas 2023, Chowdhry apologized to fans for Nish's survival, commenting that he was "aware that everyone wanted [Nish] to die at Christmas. I apologise to the audience that [he's] still around".[7][34] He added that he has been somewhat "scared" to play Nish at times, saying "There have been moments when we've had scenes and I'll speak to the producer and I'll say, 'I'm going to have to go on the school run and you're making me beat up every woman on Albert Square".[7] Nish is often referred to by critics, including co-star Brian Conley, as a "villain".[35]
Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC drama EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned on 21 September 2010, following the return of his on-screen wife, Kat Slater, two episodes previously, and they continued to feature until 22 May 2015. Alfie appeared in a guest stint between 26 December 2015 and 25 January 2016, before starring in the six-part drama spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater in 2017. Richie returned for two short stints in 2018, concluding with his exit on 22 January 2019. Richie then made a virtual cameo appearance on 12 July 2022, followed by a permanent return from 12 September 2022.
Kathleen "Kat" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the second eldest Slater family sister and first appeared on 18 September 2000. Kat's usual dress is very short skirts and leopard-print tops, with much make-up and heavy fake tan. Her initial stint saw her involved in many storylines, most significantly in a plot twist that sees her supposedly sister Zoe Slater, revealed to be her daughter after she was raped by her uncle Harry Slater as a child. Kat and Zoe's relationship is tested several times, and a feud forms when they compete against each other for the affection of Anthony Trueman. Another key aspect to the character's storylines is her marriage to Alfie Moon, prior to which she became briefly engaged to Andy Hunter ; after Kat jilted Andy on their wedding day, he blackmailed her into sleeping with him in his revenge bid against Alfie and Kat. Kat was absent between November 2004 and May 2005 following Wallace's maternity leave, but returned early to tie in with Zoe’s exit storyline. Kat later left the soap on 25 December 2005.
The Queen Victoria is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.
Stacey Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager and extension to the already established Slater family. She was created by scriptwriter Tony Jordan with Turner in mind. Producers explored the character's backstory with the introduction of her mother, Jean Slater, who has bipolar disorder. They then paired Stacey with Bradley Branning and writers developed a series of problems for their marriage, including an abortion and Stacey's scandalous affair with Bradley's father, Max Branning.
Denise Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left EastEnders in early 2008 to give birth to her second child. Her leave-taking had coincided with the departures of Matt Di Angelo, Phil Daniels and Kellie Shirley. She returned to Walford on 6 June 2008. This is Parish's second role in EastEnders, as she previously played singer Lola Christie in 1998.
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central antagonists from 13 October 1992 until her exit episode on 10 April 1998; the character supposedly died off-screen during childbirth in prison on 5 November 1998. During her first stint on the show, Cindy embarked on a prolonged relationship with her would-be husband Ian Beale. Their marriage soon deteriorated, however, due to Cindy's selfish streak that shows the character becoming unfaithful to Ian and growing more concerned about her own needs than their own children. She lies and schemes to ensure that she gets what she wants.
Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter. Linda was introduced as the new landlady of the Queen Victoria pub by new executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins as part of the Carter family. The introduction of Dyer and Bright was part of a large cast shake-up planned by new executive producer Treadwell-Collins in an attempt to improve ratings. Linda became landlady of The Queen Victoria public house and moved there with her family from her mother's pub in Watford. She has been compared to original landlady Angie Watts, and Bright has said that she had based her portrayal of Linda on Angie.
Keanu Taylor is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Danny Walters. He was introduced in episode 5511, broadcast on 15 June 2017, as a member of the Taylor family. Keanu is the son of Karen Taylor and half-brother of Chantelle Atkins, Keegan Baker, Bernadette Taylor, Riley Taylor, and Chatham Taylor. He is described as a charming, hardworking, and happy-go-lucky man of morals. In his original stint, his storylines focused on an affair with Sharon Watts and a feud with Phil Mitchell. In November 2019, it was announced that Walters "bowed out" of the soap for the development of his storyline with Sharon, with his first departure being depicted in episode 6084, which aired on 21 February 2020.
Thomas "Rocky" Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Brian Conley. He was introduced under the alias Terry Cant, the estranged father of Sonia Fowler in episode 6274, broadcast on 18 May 2021, after his casting details were announced in February of that year. He was initially billed as the "ultimate people pleaser" and a charmer. In his time on the show, his storylines focused on the exposure of his false identity, his relationship and eventual marriage to Kathy Beale, burning down the Bridge Street Café in an insurance scam, and being one of the potential victims in "The Six" storyline. In September 2023, it was announced that Conley had left the soap, with his last appearance being depicted in episode 6830, which aired on 29 December 2023.
Dana Monroe is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Barbara Smith. Smith auditioned for the role over Zoom due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television and was cast as Dana, a love interest for established character Bobby Beale, making her first appearance on 1 April 2021. She was initially cast in a 6-month guest stint, but was promoted to a regular cast member and had her family introduced to the soap. She was overjoyed to have been cast due to having been a fan of the soap since her youth. Dana has been shown to be a bubbly, generous and likeable character. Smith was initially unsure if viewers would like her, but critics have said that it has been refreshing to have a character with good intentions on EastEnders. It was announced on 10 June 2022 that Smith had been axed by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw, with Dana set to exit the show later in the year. Smith admitted that it was fitting for Dana to leave as she was of university age and was excited for her final scenes to air. She also confirmed that if she was asked, she would return to the soap in the future. Dana's final scenes aired on 1 September 2022.
Ravi Gulati is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and is portrayed by Aaron Thiara. Ravi made his first appearance in episode 6515, originally broadcast on 4 July 2022. Ravi was introduced as a fellow prisoner of Phil Mitchell and a former associate of Kheerat Panesar, though later revealed as the illegitimate son of Nish Panesar however viewers did not originally know this beforehand as there was no announcement prior to the plot-twist.
Shiv Jalota is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Vinny Panesar on the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2019.
Suki Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first onscreen appearance on 27 January 2020. She was portrayed as the protective mother of Kheerat, Jags, Vinny and Ash who believe that she always has the right answer. Prior to her arrival, it is confirmed that her relationship with Ash is severed due to disagreeing with her bisexuality. Her initial storyline sees her lying about having cancer to garner sympathy and get closer to her children. She was immediately well-received by viewers and critics, with Inside Soap writing that Suki had reached "soap icon status in record time". Sopal was shocked by the praise that she and Suki had received from the beginning of her tenure.
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